Issue 3

This edition of GEO ExPro magazine focuses on Europe, Russia and the Near East; unconventional exploration; and collaboration and team building.

Download PDF

Columns

5 Editorial

6 Regional Update

8 Licensing Update

10 Update

12 A Minute to Read

16 GEO Tourism: Playground of the Gods

20 GEO Physics: Reflection or Refraction?

32 GEO Physics: Shaping the Future of Seismic Interpretation

50 GEO Education: Learning on the Rocks

64 GEO Profile: Kevin Topham – Triumph and Tragedy

68 Exploration Update

70 GEO Media: A Long-Overdue Book!

72 Q&A: Collaboration, the Underground and the Resistance

74 Global Resource Management

Features

24 Exploration: Powerful Forecasting for Shale Reservoirs

28 Industry Issues: Resource Nationalism in the Caspian

36 Seismic Foldout: Segipe Basin Potential Revealed

44 Industry Issues: Adapting to a Changing Environment

46 History of Oil: Arthur Beeby-Thompson – Oil Pioneer

54 Recent Advances in Technology: Time-Lapse Refraction Seismic I

58 Exploration: Breaking Up Is Never Easy

62 Industry Issues: Induced or Triggered Seismicity?

Articles

Learning on the Rocks

Helping non-geologists gain a better understanding of reservoir geology by exposing them to outcrops, in multidisciplinary teams, with geological guides on hand Understanding the geology of a potential or producing Read More

Licensing Update – New Zealand

New Zealand has a long history of petroleum production, dating back to 1865, when the Alpha well was dug near seeps in Taranaki. This was followed by other wells in Read More

Russia: Fall in Offshore Exploration Investment

Scarce geological information and a reduction in exploration investments are a major hindrance to exploiting Russian Arctic Shelf potential. Since the 2014 discovery of Universitetskaya-1 in the Kara Sea, offshore Read More

Triumph and Tragedy

Kevin Topham was on the Sea Gem when it made the first commercial discovery in the UK North Sea in December 1965 and also when it collapsed, with the death Read More

Induced or Triggered Seismicity – A long term approach

Long term passive monitoring requirements for the identification and regulation of human-induced seismicity The challenge of linking seismicity with human activity is not a new one. Surface seismic networks, for Read More

Exploration Update – Libya

First Offshore NFW of 2017 Eni has made a gas and condensate discovery with the B1-16/3 NFW Gamma prospect located on the offshore Area D concession, 50 km from the Read More

A Long-Overdue Book!

Understanding Oil and Gas Shows and Seals in the Search for Hydrocarbons Let me start with my conclusion: Mr. Dolson’s book is a long-overdue work, filling a critical knowledge gap Read More

Licensing Update – Brazil

14th Exploration Round and 3rd Production Sharing (Pre-Salt) Round in 2017 The Brazilian Government has recently confirmed the blocks to be offered in the 14th Exploration Round and proposed areas Read More

Playground of the Gods

Legend has it that the Scottish North West Highlands is where the Norse gods practised their mountain building skills before they created Norway. Legend has it that the Scottish North Read More

Hunting the Silver Bullet

Prospect high grading does have an effect – an increased commercial success ratio as demonstrated by the Norwegian continental shelf. In 1978 – that is, almost 40 years ago – Read More

Fit for the Future

Two years into the downturn and still counting – but also still drilling and producing oil and gas. Since 2015 amazing strides have been made in efficiencies and technological advances, Read More

Collaboration, the Underground and the Resistance

We talk to Bruce Levell, Visiting Professor in Earth Sciences at Oxford University, about the need for collaboration between government, academia and the industry Having spent many years as a Read More

Reflection or Refraction?

Taking advantage of joint acquisition and processing techniques: a case study in the Barents Sea Bjørnøya Basin. The Norwegian Sector of the Barents Sea is located in between the Norwegian Read More

AAPG’s 100th Anniversary Celebration

On 9 February 1917, geologists gathered in Tulsa, Oklahoma to start something special and enduring, which is still relevant today as the premier organisation for petroleum geologists Guest Editorial, from Read More

Powerful Forecasting for Shale Reservoirs

Integrating geology, engineering and economics into a detailed simulation model allows for the accurate prediction of shale oil and gas full-field reserves and their future production Key to economic and Read More

Minute To Read

SEG-Y Update Anyone that has worked with seismic data in the last 40 or so years will be familiar with the SEG-Y seismic data exchange standard. SEG-Y is one of Read More

Exploration Update – Mexico

First Foreign Discovery Italian oil company Eni is the first major IOC to make an offshore oil discovery in Mexico since energy sector reforms were enacted in 2013. Amoca 2, Read More

Breaking Up Is Never Easy

The complexities that create opportunities in the ‘distal domain’ For the past two decades our understanding of the evolution of passive margins has been greatly enhanced. Research by academic consortiums Read More

Adapting to a Changing Environment

The E&P industry is facing many challenges: collaborative thinking is key to improved systems and productivity The generally accepted understanding in the O&G industry seems to be ‘lower for longer’; Read More

Sergipe Basin: Undrilled potential surpasses giant offshore discoveries

Sergipe Basin Potential Revealed Integration of key data has resulted in a better understanding of the petroleum system, allowing for the identification of multiple untested play types. The Sergipe Basin Read More

Time-Lapse Refraction Seismic – Part I

A Complementary Monitoring Method? Would you like me to give you a formula for… success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure… You can be discouraged by failure Read More

Arthur Beeby-Thompson: Oil Pioneer

Born in Northampton in 1873 and known simply as ‘Beeby-Thompson’, his achievements were such that the foreword to his auto-biography was written by Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the USA Read More

Resource Nationalism in the Caspian

The proliferation of resource nationalism in the Caspian Sea littoral states is often perceived as a risk – but should it be considered an opportunity? The impact of globalisation has Read More

Oil in the Heart of South America

Paraguay is dependent on imported oil and gas but with direct evidence of hydrocarbons and resources estimated in the billions of barrels, could this be about to change? Foreward Landlocked Read More

The global energy sector from a subsurface perspective